Protective endpieces for the ends of tubes are known that are in the form of a sheath about an axis, presenting a central housing for receiving the end of a tube, one end of the housing being open and the other end closed.
Such endpieces are commonly mounted on the ends of tubes in order to protect them during storage, transport, and handling, and prior to connection with a piece of equipment such as the body of a pneumatic or hydraulic component.
The invention provides a protective endpiece for the end of a tube, the endpiece comprising a sheath about an axis possessing a central housing for receiving the end of the tube and having an open end and a closed end, in which endpiece the sheath is provided at its open end with a ring that is detachable from the sheath so that after the sheath has been removed and the end of the tube has been coupled to a piece of equipment, the ring forms a stopper on the end of the tube for closing the gap that exists between the end of the tube and the equipment.
Thus, prior to the tube end being coupled to the equipment, the endpiece performs its conventional function of protecting the end of the tube. When it is time to couple the end of the tube to the equipment in question, the ring is detached from the sheath and remains on the end of the tube, while the sheath is withdrawn to uncover the end of the tube and to enable it to be coupled to the equipment. Once this coupling has been achieved, the ring which remains in place on the end of the tube is pressed against the equipment so as to prevent impurities from penetrating therein via the gap which exists between the equipment and the end of the tube. In this state, the ring performs a closure member or xe2x80x9cdust-excluderxe2x80x9d function for the coupling between the end of the tube and the equipment.
In an advantageous embodiment, the detachable ring is made integrally with the sheath, a breakable zone having weak mechanical characteristics being provided at the junction between the ring and the sheath to enable said ring to be separated manually.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the detachable ring presents an inside shoulder arranged to co-operate with a corresponding shoulder on the end of the tube to retain the detachable ring on the end of the tube when an axial force is exerted on the sheath to withdraw it. The ring is thus itself held on the end of the tube and it becomes automatically detached from the sheath when sufficient axial force is exerted thereon to remove it.
It is then advantageous for the detachable ring to present an inside diameter which is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the sheath, the retaining shoulder of the detachable ring being provided at the junction between said ring and the sheath.
According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the detachable ring comprises a body adjacent to the sheath and designed to be received between the end of the tube and the equipment, and a shoulder for pressing against the equipment. This provides closure that is particularly efficient and convenient. It suffices merely to dimension the body of the ring in such a manner that it is inserted with a certain amount of tightness between the equipment and the end of the tube. The resulting clamping then holds the ring in its stopper position against the equipment without any need for other locking members, and also reinforces the effectiveness of closure.
In which case, it is advantageous for the body of the detachable ring to present an outside surface that is frustoconical. The conical shape of the ring body makes it easier to insert the body into the equipment while simultaneously obtaining good clamping.